Crown cap feeding means



May 27, 1952 J. w. HOFFECKER 2,598,380

CROWN CAP FEEDING MEANS I Filed July 16, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 4O f F|e.l.

INVENTbR JOHN WESLEY HOFFECKER ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 27, 1952 CROWN CAP FEEDING MEANS John Wesley Hotfecker, Wilmington, Del., as-

signor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N Y., a corporation of New York Application July -16, 1946, Serial No. 683,956

The invention relates generally to crown cap feeding means and primarily seeks to provide novel agitator devices operable in crown cap feeding chute structures and effective to prevent jamming of the caps.

Although it is subject to more general adaptation, the invention is particularly adaptable for use in crown cap feeding mechanisms of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent 1,932,529 issued to Berthold Nagy on October 31, 1933 wherein the crown caps are deposited indiscriminately into a hopper and, after being whirled about in rotary drums therein, are delivered into and through two gravity chutes having provision therein for righting the caps, that is turning such caps as may need turning to cause all caps to face in one direction. In the Nagy patent structure the caps finally are delivered into a single file delivery chute, being delivered thereinto directly from one of the two previously mentioned gravity chutes, and indirectly from the other gravity chute through a generally horizontally disposed connecting chute having a conveyor in its bottom wall efiective to move the caps toward the juncture of said connecting chute, said one gravity chute and said delivery chute. In cap feeding mechanisms of the character stated considerable difficulty has been experienced in the jamming of caps at the chute juncture referred to and it is a purpose of the present invention to provide novel cap agitating means effective to prevent such jamming, and thus materially increase the daily output of the machine to which the caps are fed for subsequent operations thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the type stated and including a chute through which the caps are conveyed, a novel cap agitating means comprising a rotor having spaced flanges, and a spring projected agitator finger yieldably projecting beyond the periphery of the flanges and disposed to swing through a portion of the chute upon rotation of said rotor to engage caps therein in a kickback action effective to momentarily retard move- .ment of the caps opposite said rotor.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating a crown cap feeder embodying the invention, parts being broken away and in section.

7 Claims. (01. 226--88.1)

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectiona view showing the agitator in action kicking back a crown cap in the connecting chute.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view take on the line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical cross section of the agitator rotor per se.

Figure 5 is an edge view of the rotor shown in Figure 4.

In the Nagy type of machine in which the improved agitating means is incorporated as an example of embodiment of the invention, the crown caps are deposited indiscriminately into a hopper 5 and fall onto an inverted V-shaped floor 6 which delivers them into one or the other of two axially aligned hollow drums 'l and 8.

The drums l and 8 are secured on the ends of a shaft 9 Which is rotatable in a central housing bearing, and each shaft end has a pulley end member ID or I I secured thereon, one said pulley being driven by a belt I2 from any suitable power source (not shown). One of the drums 8 is equipped with a gear I3 which meshes with and drives a pinion gear l4 secured on a cross shaft l5 which is rotatably mounted in suitable frame bearings.

While being tumbled about in the drums, the crown caps are received uprightly, or ontheir edges, in a grooveway I 6 formed between the end of the respective drum I or 8 and the adjacent pulley end member I0 or I I in the manner clearly illustrated at the right in Figure 1. Within the grooveway It, the crown caps are supported by the respective stationary bar I1 or l8, and from said grooveway the caps pass through openings in said bars into the uprightly disposed twister chute structures I9 and 20 wherein are included means for turning the caps so that all caps face in the same direction. While passing into the chute structures I9 and 20, the caps are engaged by knurled disks 2i or 22 in order to prevent jamming of the caps as they enter the chute structures, and said disks are secured upon the cross shaft I5. y

The two chute channels 23 and 24 of the grate ity chute structure 28 deliver directly into asin'gle file chute 25, but a knurled disk 25 preferably is mounted in position for having the periphery thereof project slightly into the chute 25 at the juncture of the channels 23 and 24 therewith in a manner for preventing jamming of the caps as tlziey enter the single file chute 25. See Figure The two chute channels 21 and 28 of the gravity chute structure [9 deliver indirectly to the single file chute 25 through a generally horizontally disposed connecting chute 29 having a conveyor chain flight 30 running over the floor thereof in position for engaging the crown caps and moving them along in the chute 29 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The chain passes over an idler sprocket 31 beneath the gravity chute structure 19, and" over an idler-'sprocket 'fi at the juncture 'ofthe channels 23 and 24 and the chutes Z5 and 29. The position of the sprocket 32 is best illustrated in Figure 2, and from this figure and Figure 3 it will be apparent that said sprocketis'secured on a sleeve 33 which is freely rotatable about astud shaft 34 which is secured as-at 35 on a bra'cket'BB.

lhe sleeve 33 also is equipped'with a pulley 31, and a belt 38 passes over the pulley 31 and over a pulley 39 on the shaft 4t which carries the knurled disk 26, thereby to impart rotation to said disk in a direction counter to the direction in which the crown caps pass into the single file chute35.

The sleeve 33 also 'is equipped with a pulley Al to which rotation is imparted through a twisted belt 42 from the pulley which is secured on-the previously mentioned cross shaft I 5.

Still another'pulleyM is-secured on the sleeve 33,"anda beltdS passes over said pulley and over a pulley 48 secured on a sleeve 41 which is freely rotatable about a'studshaft '48" secured as at 49 to the bracket '36.

It will be apparent by reference to Figures 2 and 3- of the' drawings that the sleeve 41' is equipped with a pair of spaced, parallel flanges 50"'wh'ich rotate an "accommodating opening formed in the topof theconnecting chute 29 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2. 'A' detent finger 5| is ro'ckably mounted betweenthe flanges 50' on a-cross pin 52, the finger beingso disposed that' its free end portion extends outwardly-"beyond the'periphery oi the fianges'iil as at"53. Itwill' be apparent-by reference to Figures 4 and Set the-drawings'that' the extended or" free end 53 'of the'finger' 5| 'is'providedwith a 'erosspin 5 whichextends over the fian'ges iifl and prevents retraction of the finger inwardly beyond the periphery of said flanges.

*Theother or inner'end 55 of the finger 5| is recessed-as at 58 to receive'one' end of a spring member 5'? which is coiled about a cross pin "58 extendingbetween the flanges 59, the other end Y -59"of' said spring bearing tt'gainst the sleeve 47 between the fianges in a manner for causing the spring '51 to constantlytend to hold the finger portion is in the "extended positionv illustrated 'in' full lines in Figure 4. The retracted position of'saidfinger end portion is illustrated in dotted lines in said figure.

in the operation-of the crown cap feeding 'means5the-sleeve41and the disks 5!? thereon are constantlyrotated; and at'each rotation of the sleeve the yieldably-projected" finger end portion 53"Wi11 swing through the connecting chute 23 directly above the sprocket 32 and engage crown caps passing through said chute in a mannerfor "momentarily retarding them in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2. This momentary kickback action of the finger portion 53' serves 'topreventjainming ofthe crown caps as they move with the caps from the channels 23 and 24" into the single file chute 25 by momentarily removing the pressure 'or weight of the'succ'eeding caps in the channel 23 and thereby permitting the remaining caps in the other channels 23a'nd me-ireeiyrename-position.

* ltfivill =-elem-1ae:spotrent that 'the retationof til the knurled disk 26 in a direction counter to the direction of movement of the caps into the chute 25 contributes materially to the prevention of jamming of the caps at the juncture of the channels 23 and 24 and the chute 29 with the single file chute 25.

= While one form of the invention? has been shown for "purposes of illustratiom itls to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts maybe-made without departing from the spirit and scope "of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. =In crown c'ap feeding means, a chute through which the-caps: are conveyed, a conveyor movable along one wall of the chute and having only frictionally engaging conveying contact with caps therein in a manner for conveying the caps uprightly on edge through the chute; anda rotary agitator disposed opposite said conveyor and having a spring finger swingable into .the'chutevand ina' direction opposite the directionzof movement of said conveyor upon each-rotation oftthe'sagitator in position for yieldably engaging edgeportions' of caps passing individually in .processional order 'throughthe chute and'momentarily retarding movementof "said eapsby'said conveyor.

' 2. Incrown cap feeding means, a chute through which the caps I are conveyed, a -rotor havin space parallel flanges rotatable opposite the path cf'travel of caps through'the chutej'and-an agitator finger pivoted between ancl h'aving a portion thereof projected beyond 'the' pei'ipheries of said fiang'es'in position for engagingandmomentarily retarding progress of the'c'a ps through the'ehute as the rotor is rotated.

' 3. In crown cap feeding means, a chute through which the-caps are conveyed,-- a rotor having spacedparallel flanges rotatable opposite' t-he path of' travel of caps th'rou'gh the'chute, an agitator finger pivoted between and havinga portion thereofprojected beyond 'the peripheries of said flangesin' position for-'enga'ging andmomentarily' retarding progress of the caps 'through the" "chute as' the rotor is rotated; spring r'neans for yield'ably holdingthefinger'in its projected position; and means for l-ir'niti'ng retraction of the finger between said fianges.

1 d lnfcrown cap feeding means; asingle file cap feeding chute having an' uprightly jdisposed receiving portion, two uprightly disposed :laterally-spaced cap feedingchutes'one: of whlch'is disposed to deliver directly into saidsin'glefile cap receiving portion; a eonnectingchr1te'disposed'to delivercaps "from the other of said two chutes' to'said single file cap-*receivingportion, means movable in s'aidconnecting' chute fa'nd engageable with caps therein" for aiding in"the movement of'the caps through Said'connecting chute, and an agitator rotor-*meanspperable opposite said movable means andadjacent: the discharge of the connecting chuteintosaidsingle file'cap receiving portion and intermittently engageable withperipherar portions of caps moving through the connecting chutefor momentarily retarding passage of the caps --through" said "discharge.

5 In'crown cap feeding'means, a single file cap feeding chute having "an uprightly disposed'receivin portion, two uprightlydisposewlaterally spaced cap feeding chutes one'of"vvhich-isdis posed-- td'deliver directly into said single filecap receiving port-ion;- a connecting ehute clispose'dto deliver caps from the' other of"'-said"-=two= chutes' to said single file cap receiving portion, and agitator means operable adjacent the discharge of the connecting chute into said single file cap receiving portion for momentarily retarding passage of caps through said discharge, said agitator comprising a rotor and a yieldable finger projecting therefrom in position for engaging caps in the connecting chute as the rotor is rotated.

6. In crown cap feeding means, a single file cap feeding chute having an uprightly disposed receiving portion, two uprightly disposed laterally spaced cap feeding chutes one of which is disposed to deliver directly into said single file cap receiving portion, a connecting chute disposed to deliver caps from the other of said two chutes to said single file cap receiving portion, agitator means operable adjacent the discharge of the connecting chute into said single file cap receiving portion for momentarily retarding passage of caps through said discharge, said agitator comprising a rotor and a yieldable finger projecting therefrom in position for engaging caps in the connecting chute as the rotor is rotated, and a conveyor movable in the connecting chute for moving caps therethrough and passing about a rotor disposed at the juncture of the connecting chute said one chute and said single file cap receiving portion, said agitator rotor being disposed opposite said conveyor rotor.

7. In crown cap feeding means, a single file cap feeding chute having an uprightly disposed receiving portion, two uprightly disposed laterally spaced cap feeding chutes one of which is disposed to deliver directly into said single file cap receiving portion, a connecting chute disposed to deliver caps from the other of said two chutes to said single file cap receiving portion, agitator means operable adjacent the discharge of the connecting chute into said single file cap receiving portion for momentarily retarding passage of caps through said discharge, said agitator comprising a rotor and a yieldable finger projecting therefrom in position for engaging caps in the connecting chute as the rotor is rotated, a conveyor movable in the connecting chute for moving caps therethrough and passing about a rotor disposed at the juncture of the connecting chute said one chute and said single file cap receiving portion, said agitator rotor being disposed opposite said conveyor rotor, and an agitator rotor disposed opposite the conveyor rotor at the juncture of said one chute with said single file cap receiving portion.

JOHN WESLEY HOFFECKER.

REFERENES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,063,720 Nagy June 3, 1913 1,138,588 Augensen May 4, 1915 1,333,065 Douglass Mar. 9, 1920 1,446,024 Tornquist et a1. Feb. 20, 1923 1,686,884 Trenor Oct. 9, 1928 1,932,529 Nagy Oct. 31, 1933 2,069,762 Johnson Feb. 9, 1937 2,331,050 Sensenderfer Oct. 5, 1943 2,385,004 Kittess Sept. 18, 1945 

